Thomas Ward, 72, and his wife, Kathy Ward, 73, were killed Tuesday morning after a pickup truck crossed the median of U.S. Route 30 and slammed into their minivan in Crawford County, Ohio. The couple, who lived in rural Bloomville, died at the scene of the three-vehicle collision. A 19-year-old pickup driver was seriously injured and flown to a hospital.
The crash happened around 6:27 a.m. on November 10, along the eastbound lanes of U.S. Route 30, just west of State Route 602 in Whetstone Township. Deputies with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office rushed to the scene after receiving reports of the collision.
Investigators say the crash began when a westbound 2006 Lincoln Mark LT pickup truck, driven by 19-year-old Damien Reid of Broadview Heights, sideswiped a semi-truck traveling in the right-hand lane.
After the initial collision, the pickup moved off the roadway to the left and entered the median. It struck the embankment of an emergency turnaround between the eastbound and westbound lanes. The impact caused the truck to lose control before it crossed into the eastbound lanes.
The pickup then struck a 2024 Toyota Sienna traveling east. Thomas was behind the wheel, while Kathy occupied the front passenger seat. The collision proved fatal for both occupants.
Emergency crews arrived, but there was nothing more they could do for the couple. Thomas and Kathy were pronounced dead at the scene by the Crawford County Coroner’s Office.
Reid suffered severe injuries in the crash. MedFlight transported him by helicopter to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center for treatment. The driver of the semi-truck was not reported injured.
The collision also forced authorities to shut down the eastbound lanes of U.S. Route 30 between County Road 330, also known as East Junction, and State Route 602. The closure lasted approximately two and a half hours as investigators examined the scene and crews cleared the wreckage.
Several emergency agencies assisted, including the Whetstone Township Volunteer Fire Department, Jefferson Township Volunteer Fire Department, Life First EMS, MedFlight, the Crawford County Coroner’s Office and the Ohio Department of Transportation.
For the Ward family, Tuesday morning brought a loss that no one could have prepared for. Thomas and Kathy were together in the same vehicle when the crash took their lives, leaving their loved ones to deal with the sudden loss of two family members.
The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation was continuing. No further details about the circumstances leading to the initial sideswipe collision had been released.
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